Two local leaders will take the podium at this year's PWA Expo Breakfast on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, at the Oregon Convention Center. The speakers include Mira Kaddoura, the founder and chief creative officer of Red & Co., a female-founded technology-forward consultancy and Andrew Colas, president of Colas Construction. Mercedes Muñoz, a Franklin High School teacher and the 2020 Oregon Teacher of the Year, will also join us as a special guest panelist.

The annual breakfast attracts about 450 business leaders and educators, as well as high school students from across the city who are developing their college-and-career aspirations.

Mira Kaddoura

Mira Kaddoura is a conceptual interactive artist and the founder & Chief Creative Officer of Red & Co. Kaddoura has worked in advertising for 18 years, 10 of which were spent at the offices of Wieden+Kennedy, where she helped create famous work like Nike’s Real Women campaign and Nike’s “I Feel Pretty” commercial, as well as “The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking” film. Her work has received numerous awards, including Gold and Silver Lions at Cannes Creativity Festival, Clios, D&AD Yellow and White Pencils, Gold Effies, and Webbys, Communication Arts Award of Excellence and TED’s Ads Worth Spreading. Kaddoura is a speaker at several organizations and cultural and educational institutions around the world. Kaddoura feels like she’s part of many worlds, having been born in Alexandria, Egypt, and raised between Beirut, Lebanon, and Toronto, Canada. She credits her husband, daughters, family, yoga and conceptual art projects for keeping her sane in the world we live in.

Andrew Colas

Andrew Colas is president of Colas Construction, a growing presence in Portland's construction community. Colas Construction was recently recognized as "Minority Business Firm of the Year" by the Diversity Institute. Colas formally joined Colas Construction in 1999, serving as an apprentice to his father in the field. Upon completion of his degree from the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon, Andrew joined the company full-time as a project manager, where he developed the skills to successfully manage multiple projects. Andrew currently leads the business development and operational teams at Colas Construction and has utilized his experience in the field to spearhead the redevelopment of the company's project delivery, fiscal, estimating, safety and project supervision systems. A NE Portland native and lifelong community activist, Andrew works tirelessly to promote investment and job creation in underserved populations.

Mercedes Muñoz

Mercedes Muñoz has been a learning specialist at Franklin High School in Portland since 2013. Ensuring that all students are seen, heard, and prepared for life transitions is her most critical work. As department lead for special education at Franklin High, Mercedes has been instrumental in the development of the special education push-in model. She has participated as a member of the school’s Equity Team, served on the Safety and Poetry Slam Committees, and is a leader for the recruitment of historically underserved students in the Advanced Placement Program. Described as a “force of nurture,” Mercedes advocates daily for the learning needs of all students and leads the charge for building a more equitable school environment. Her capacity for building strong relationships with students is key to her impact as an educator.

Get Involved with the Expo Breakfast

Tables and tickets are available for the PWA Breakfast celebration, but they are going fast. Last year’s event sold out. Register now!

Early Breakfast Sponsors for 2020 include Cozy and OnPoint Community Credit Union, as well as Durham & Bates, Portland HR Management Association, Barran Liebman, Cinder Staffing and Todd Construction. Sponsorship opportunities include Table Sponsors and Event Sponsors. Please contact Julia Soto about 2020 Breakfast sponsorship opportunities.